Devon Island sets Guineas hopes

With six weeks until the UAE 2000 Guineas, Godolphin’s Devon Island can advertise his claims for the opening Classic of the season by winning Race 8, the 1600m conditions race for two-year-olds on dirt on a bumper nine-race card at Meydan today.

- Ed Marnane

Trained by Charlie Appleby, Devon Island caught the eye on his local dirt debut when defeating the reopposing Brotherly Love and nine others in a maiden at Meydan last month. Always handy, he stayed on strongly in the closing stages and confirmed the promise of his encouraging debut at Kempton in August.

He relished the switch to dirt, and it was no surprise, being by leading US dirt sire Practical Joke out of a mare that won on dirt in the US.

Bhupat Seemar took the training honours at Meydan last week, saddling three winners, and brings a big team to his local track. His best chance of winner looks to be Poster Paint, the mount of Tadhg O’Shea, in the finale, division 2 of the 1800m handicap on turf.

A winner over the course and distance in March last year, he has run well in defeat in two appearances since returning from his summer break and makes plenty of appeal from the foot of the weights.